HOUSTON - George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) will add another international carrier to its roster this year — Air New Zealand — who will launch nonstop service from IAH in mid-December.

Tickets are expected to go on sale in May. The carrier will operate the Houston-Auckland route up to five times per week. Houston will be Air New Zealand’s fifth North American gateway, joining Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

“This expands our reach into a thriving part of the country and also acts as a great feed to the East Coast, meaning a gateway to New Zealand is now less than three hours away from numerous U.S. cities," Chris Myers, Air New Zealand's vice president of the Americas, said.

Several new international carriers either launched or announced Houston service at IAH over the past couple years.

IAH saw a 9.2 percent increase in international travelers to more than 9.8 million in 2014, and its combined passenger total, including international and domestic travelers, was up 3.6 percent to 41.2 million last year. Both figures are record highs for the airport's 46-year history.

William P. Hobby Airport, which also saw record-high passenger traffic in 2014, will soon add international flights as well. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. is nearing completion on its international terminal at Hobby, and other airlines are already expressing interest in the terminal.